SWINDON Town manager David Flitcroft believes the arrival of fresh faces will only serve to boost the buzz that is already around the squad at present.

Town look to take another step towards the League Two play-off places this afternoon when they make the trip to another side hopeful of promotion this season – Coventry City.

Only goal difference is keeping Flitcroft’s side out of the top seven at present, with Town heading to the Ricoh Arena on the back of three successive victories.

Forward Keshi Anderson made his loan spell at the Energy Check County Ground a permanent one earlier this week, while striker Marc Richards joined on a free transfer, those deals following the arrival of midfielder Ollie Banks on loan last week.

Flitcroft has already seen an extra intensity about Town’s training sessions because of those new faces and believes that a Swindon squad in full health will be a force to be reckoned with.

“We are on a really good run, I can feel it on the training ground – there is a feel-good factor,” said Flitcroft.

“Adding new players, you can see there has been a lift and there has definitely been a tempo and an improvement to the training and competition.

“Like I said to the players before I brought the new players in, you can only go two ways with competition, you either embrace it and enjoy it or you fear it and go the other way.

“Certainly the rest of the players are enjoying the fact we are bringing in competition and with Timi (Elsnik) coming back next week and then Chris (Hussey) and then Amine (Linganzi) and Don (McDermott) after that, it does start looking like a fantastic squad.”

Ninth-placed Town are one of six clubs within two points or less of Accrington Stanley in the third and final automation promotion place and the Town boss expects it to be nip-and-tuck right until the very end of the campaign.

Coventry are amongst those teams in with a strong shout of promotion and Flitcroft knows Town cannot afford to be anything below their best this afternoon.

“There are no gimmes in this league. There is an honesty and you get tested differently every game. It is about how players turn up on the day and stick to the task at hand,” said Flitcroft.

“Coventry keep a lot of clean sheets, they are very resilient at what they do, they are very organised and very functional.

“They have had a fantastic season and they have never really been out of sight of their objective to get promotion so it is going to be another tough game.”

Meanwhile, Town midfielder Tom Smith has re-joined National League South side Bath City on loan until the end of the season.